Produce bags are dispensed directly to customers at produce counters or the like, where the customer can bag the produce as it is chosen for purchase. A common problem with dispensing produce bags is providing the bag to the consumer in a convenient, simple, and reliable fashion. Similar issues are found regarding other bags including T-Shirt bags or the like. Consumers are typically not trained for operating the dispensers, so the design should guide the user as to the proper dispensing technique with the first use. Further considerations relate to ease of replenishing the supply, uniformity of dispensing, ease of opening, and providing closure means such as bag ties or the like. Prior art patents have contemplated various dispensers for produce bags, including rolls of unfolded or folded bags, dispensing boxes, and stands, which may be wall mounted for free standing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,833 issued 1998 teaches a free standing plastic bag dispenser for dispensing packs of produce bags or the like, wherein the bag packs are hung on folded plastic tab members and supported by a single, wide, medially situated hook (18A). A horizontally situated backing bar (16) for maintaining the packs “in a substantially planar condition which is pleasing to the eye”. FIG. 8 illustrates a bag pack having a perforated tab which is heat sealed at insertion points (22e), the tab having formed therein first and second apertures (27) for receiving first and second support hooks (18′).
While the prior art has contemplated a free standing produce bag stand for dispensing individual bags from a pack of produce bags, it would appear that the prior art has failed to teach a produce bag dispensing system which includes an angled medial support member to aid in removing the top most bag from the stack.